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Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Lemon Meringue Pie

Lip-smacking looks and punchy lemon flavour result in a seriously delicious gluten and dairy-free dessert. If you’re not up for making a crust , you can buy a nine-inch GF pie shell, but note that it’s not likely you’ll find one that’s GF and DF.

MAKES 1 (9-INCH) PIE

1 cup plus 6 tablespoons sugar, divided

2 tablespoons tapioca flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large lemons, zested and juiced

4 eggs, yolks and whites separated

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 recipe Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Pie Crust (TK)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make the lemon-curd filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup of the sugar along with the tapioca flour, cornstarch, and salt.

Stir in 11/2 cups water and the lemon zest and juice. Whisk over medium heat until it begins to boil.

Place the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. Ladle 1/2 cup of the hot lemon mixture into the bowl of yolks and whisk to combine. Add the yolk mixture to the saucepan with the rest of the lemon mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about 5 minutes. Use a heat proof spatula to constantly stir the curd to avoid it scorching or lumping on the bottom of the pot. Pour the filling into the pie shell when it has thickened.

Make the meringue: Whisk the egg whites in stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment until eggs start to foam. Ensure your bowl and whisk are completely clean, dry and grease free. In a small bowl, combine the cream of tartar and the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, mix to combine, then gradually add it to the egg whites while mixing on low. Whip the whites until stiff peaks form. Meringue should be glossy, shiny and hold its shape. If it looks coarse, grainy or watery, it has been over whipped.

Decoratively spread or pipe the meringue over hot lemon filling, making sure to cover the area where the filling edges meet the crust. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is slightly browned. Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing or serving.

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Pie Crust

MAKES 2 (9-INCH) CRUSTS You can use butter instead of vegan margarine if you aren’t avoiding dairy, and you can make the dough in advance, refrigerate it, and bring it to room temperature before rolling it. You can also freeze extra dough, wrapped in plastic and stored in a ziplock bag, for up to 3 months. Note: the dough requires an hour of chilling, so plan accordingly.

Brown Rice Flour 3/4 Cup plus 1.5 tsp

Sweet Rice Flour 3/8 Cup (6 tablespoons)

Potato Starch 1/4 Cup

Tapioca 1/8 Cup (2 tablespoons)

Xanthan 1/2 teaspoons

Salt 3/4 teaspoons

Sugar 1 teaspoon

Margarine 7 tablespoons (Cold)

1/4 cup water (approx)

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the margarine and mash it with a fork until the dough is combined and has a loose crumbly texture. Slowly add just enough of the cold water to help the dough come together. Alternatively, mix the dry ingredients with the cold margarine (cube or break into small chunks) on low speed in a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Take care not to over mix, as butter should still be slightly chunky and mealy. Add cold water little by little and mix until dough is coarse and crumbly but holds together when pinched. Do not over mix.

Roll the dough out into one 1/4-inch-thick disk between two sheets of plastic wrap.

Peel off the top sheet of plastic wrap. Placing one hand underneath the remaining sheet of plastic wrap, pick up the dough and gently flip it over, dough-side down, into a pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the pan, forcing any air bubbles to escape from the sides. Carefully peel off the remaining plastic wrap, trim any dough hanging over the edges of the pie plate. Press the edges of the dough firmly into the corner and edges of pan. Cover the dough with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

If your recipe calls for parbaking the crust before use (as does a Lemon Meringue Pie) preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a fork, prick small holes all over the bottom of the crust so it won’t puff up when cooking. Lay a piece of parchment paper in the center of the pie. Top with dried beans or pie weights to weigh down the crust and bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. If parbaking is not required, skip the beans step, fill the crust with your desired filling, and bake until desired doneness.

By Joanna Schultz

Joanna is the owner and creator of the award-winning Pikanik bakery, renowned for their gluten free and allergy friendly breads, cookies, cakes and so much more. She opened Pikanik in October, 2012 after her daughter was diagnosed with gluten and dairy allergies. Seeing how difficult it was for her daughter to miss out on foods she loved, Joanna was motivated to serve the underserved – to create a space where people with multiple and often life-threatening allergies could come and enjoy something delicious. Worry free. Today, Pikanik the only Canadian bakery west of Toronto that offers gluten free, nut free, soy free and dairy free products in one place. In 2016, Joanna won the Innovator of the Year Award via the Canadian Bakers Journal.​

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